


I See Your Truth, Do You See Mine?

by verus_caelum



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Big Bro Lucifer, Bonding, Ella finds out, Ella hugs, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Gen, Hugs, Introspection, Linda makes a guest appearance, Lucifer and Azrael bonding, Lucifer and Ella friendship, Movie Night, Post 3x25, Wings, before Chloe finds out, fears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27977676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verus_caelum/pseuds/verus_caelum
Summary: When Ella invites both Lucifer and Azrael to hang out for a movie night, they must all work to avoid exposing Azrael’s secret. But when something slips, how will Ella handle finding out the truth about her “ghost friend”?Now Ella must explain her ability to talk to ghosts, hoping Lucifer won’t treat her like she’s crazy, and Lucifer must tell her the truth about him, all the while fearing rejection.
Comments: 93
Kudos: 273





	1. Plans

**Author's Note:**

> This story is already completed, and I will be updating chapters every few days, so be on the lookout! This is my first actual multi-chaptered fic so I hope it works out well – though in that regard, it may not be structured as a typical linear story. I have written a chapter or two that might not follow a traditional story but it’s something I wanted to try out in this fic :)
> 
> As always, I appreciate any and all comments – especially since this is the first time I will be uploading multiple chapters in a (somewhat) scheduled way! Thank you <3

“So, you ready for this movie marathon, Luce?” Ella asked Lucifer, turning to nudge him in his side excitedly. They stood outside the door to her apartment, about to embark on a night full of movies and popcorn. She had finally convinced Lucifer that they needed to start hanging out more, and she thought this was the perfect opportunity to catch him up on all the nerdy movies she loved. 

“Miss Lopez, you should know by now that I am more than happy to indulge in the world of human cinema! Though I must admit, I don’t typically watch such “nerdy” movies, I’m more of a _Weaponizer_ kind of Devil.”

“Ah don’t worry about it bud, that’s exactly what today is gonna be all about!” Ella was excited to spend more time with the self-proclaimed Devil, and she had always found his dedication to method acting (though he would deny it) intriguing. Plus, she took every opportunity she could get to introduce more people to only her _favorite_ movies of all time – she needed more people who get her references!

She turned the key and opened the door to her apartment – it wasn’t huge, but it was comfortable and cozy, just the way she liked it. Covering her apartment was nerdy posters, fan memorabilia, and all her science-y tools – her entire apartment reflecting her enthusiastic personality.

After they entered, she stepped to the side to let Lucifer pass, pointing to her living to the left. “Living room’s through there. Make yourself comfortable and I’ll get started on the popcorn!”

He offered her a hesitant smile as he made his way over to the couch, exploring all of her décor and knick-knacks along the way. She quickly turned and bounced away to the kitchen, excited to get the events of the evening started. She had also asked Rae-Rae to stop by if she had the chance – she didn’t realize how much she missed hanging out with her until she had dropped by recently out of nowhere. Although it may seem weird to be hanging out with her ghost friend as well, she had gotten used to having her around without acting weird from back when she was a teen – it was always interesting to hang out with Rae-Rae when no one else could see her, but she had acclimated to it, and felt that was no reason to start ignoring her friend since childhood. So, she hoped Lucifer wouldn’t mind the secret inclusion of Rae-Rae as well, but he wouldn’t even notice she was there – literally!

Speaking of which, she spotted Rae-Rae leaning against the small table as she rounded into the kitchen. Rae-Rae offered her a nervous wave in greeting and Ella made her way over to her.

“So,” Rae-Rae began in a hushed conversation, “this friend of yours – who are they? You guys are doing a movie night, right?” Ella had told her she had been inviting a friend over to hang out, inviting her as well if she wanted to join – she too was more than used to being discrete (though she didn’t have to try too hard if she couldn’t be heard or seen).

“Yup, it’s Lucifer – he works with us at the LAPD as a civilian consultant,” Ella responded softly as she began prepping for the popcorn. She glanced over to Rae-Rae to see a shocked expression cross over her face before she quickly recovered.

“Lucifer, huh? Wow, that’s an interesting name…”

“Tell me about it, he’s really into his method acting though, so I say by all means go for it.”

Rae-Rae tilted her head at the odd description, but shook her head and asked, “You sure you don’t mind if I’m here? I know we haven’t exactly done this in a while.”

It was true – for the longest time, Ella had tried to move past that part of her life, the part where she was the weird kid who talked to ghosts. Or imaginary friends. Or delusions. Whatever term everyone around her had used to try to explain the situation. They would never get it though, and her trying to explain it seemed to only make it worse. She quickly learned to keep Rae-Rae to herself – it was the easiest way to avoid getting hurt.

“Of course, girl! It’s overdue anyway – after you came back, I realized that I did kinda miss you a lot,” Ella replied enthusiastically, still keeping her voice low enough for Lucifer to not overhear.

“Only kinda? Oh geez, thanks!” Rae-Rae replied sarcastically. Ella only laughed in response and shook her head – she had missed their banter as well. For being a ghost, Rae-Rae sure did know how to make her feel better.

“Alright, I’m gonna head over there then, see ya in a minute!” Rae-Rae said quickly as she started heading over to the living room. Maybe she wanted she check out their guest for herself? She seemed to be acting a bit weird, but Ella brushed it off and returned her attention back to the task at hand.

A few minutes later, everything was ready to go and Ella headed back towards the living room, movie snacks and popcorn in tow. She entered to see Lucifer leaning against the back of the couch, legs crossed over each other – he had even removed his suit jacket and draped it over the chair, seemingly his attempt at more comfortable attire. She looked over to see Rae-Rae sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the chair on the other side of the couch.

With the movies already set up and ready to go, she plopped down on the couch next to Lucifer. He excitedly eyed the popcorn bucket and she passed it over without a word, watching as he quickly began digging in. She started the movie and glanced over to Rae-Rae giving her an appreciative smile before looking over to Lucifer, watching him equally engaged in the starting movie as well as the popcorn in front of him. Relaxing back into the couch, Ella appreciated the serene moment she found herself in – two of her best friends by her side as they all fell into the comfortable silence, glad that she had friends, no matter how strange, that could be here for her like this.

\-----

Well into their second movie now, Ella found herself enjoying herself like she hadn’t in a long time. Whether it be Lucifer constantly picking apart and mocking the characters ( _“Come on Miss Lopez, you can’t actually believe that’s how interdimensional travel works!”_ ), or Rae-Rae making her corny jokes and comments ( _“Duh, there’s a reason it’s called a black hole!” _), Ella found herself constantly laughing and smiling, so glad she was able to share a moment like this with her friends.__

__She had become so comfortable around her friends that she wasn’t paying much attention to being discrete regarding her ghost friend, letting a response or laugh slip a time or two. But, Lucifer never said a word – never threw a weird glance her way – and she was so grateful that he somehow understood. That’s one of the things she had come to appreciate about him – whether it was her nerdy scientific talk or accidental mention of voices – Lucifer never looked at her with anything more than genuine interest. Whereas her old “friends” had abandoned her, stayed away from her and all the weird things that came with her – her friends here seemed to appreciate her for her… she had come to find a home here._ _

__She could have sworn she would see Lucifer try to hide his smile after Rae-Rae commented on something, but she brushed it off as lining up with the movie or her own laughter. Either way, as much as he claimed to be this tough Devil, she saw how much he was enjoying himself as well. She saw herself in him in many ways – afraid to open yourself up to others for fear of being rejected, always putting up a mask to avoid getting hurt – but dropping it in these moments, the times you found yourself surrounded by true friends._ _

__As the second movie drew to a close, Ella insisted they sit through the credits for the after-credits scene that they just couldn’t miss._ _

__“We could just skip past the credits, no? I see no reason to sit through the never-ending scrolling of text when we could just watch the scene now. I’m an immortal and even this is too long for me!” Lucifer began to whine in protest. Ella couldn’t help but laugh at the overly exasperated expression he wore, letting out a heavy sigh as if this were an absolutely horrible situation to sit through._ _

__“It’s part of the experience, dude! The tension and anxiety that builds as you wait for the credits to get slower until they end… The screen turning black in that moment before your mind is completely blown by the scene you never even expected to come!” Ella spoke passionately, waving her hands around in her excitement._ _

__She heard Rae-Rae mutter under her breath with a laugh, “Yeah, you never were one for patience…”_ _

__Before she could process what was happening, she was taken completely by surprise when Lucifer responded casually without hesitation._ _

__“Me? It’s not exactly like you’re the epitome of patience either, Rae-Rae!”_ _

__Ella felt her breath immediately catch as everyone around her seemed to freeze. The silence quickly grew heavy as Lucifer realized his mistake, the confusion and panic swirling within her only continuing to grow._ _

__

_“What?”_


	2. Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little scene takes place earlier, while Ella is busy out in the kitchen.

_Earlier…_

Lucifer carefully removed his jacket and draped it over the chair beside him, leaning against the arm of the couch while he waited for Ella to return from the kitchen. He glanced around her homey living room, impressed by the amount of posters decorating her walls, all the knick-knacks that felt so very Ella.

He startled a bit when he saw Azrael entering the room, confused by her sudden appearance. He knew she had been hanging around Miss Lopez, ever since seeing her for the first time in millennia a few weeks back. But what was she doing here now, exactly?

“Azrael,” Lucifer began hesitantly as he pushed off the couch, “What are you doing here?”

“Hey Lu,” she offered with a sheepish wave. The last time they talked, she had left mid-conversation, with no explanation at all – some tension still lingered between the two of them.

Lucifer glanced nervously towards the kitchen, them both speaking low enough so that Ella wouldn’t overhear them from out there.

“Ella said she was inviting someone over for a movie night and said I could join. Didn’t exactly know it was you until she just told me now - I swear!” Azrael finished quickly.

Lucifer had been upset by her abrupt disappearance when they last spoke – he felt that after all these years he had gotten his little sister back. That they could talk it out, and perhaps it would almost be like old times (though it never would be exactly, nor did he want it to be, there was a reason he wasn’t happy back then). He found himself directing his anger towards her once again, just as he had when she hadn’t contacted him for all those years. Though, if he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t really angry with her. Sure, he was still a little hurt by the lack of contact (he really had missed his favorite little sister), but he had spent long enough pushing her away. He was glad she was here now, and after all, he did have her to thank for introducing Miss Lopez into his life (though he thought it was a manipulation at first, he quickly came to be grateful for his sister’s actions – Ella really had a way of making him feel better about himself).

“It’s alright, Azrael,” Lucifer responded quietly, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m not upset with you, sister.”

Rae-Rae seemed to relax at that, the tension previously occupying her shoulders quickly falling away. “I still owe you an apology, Lu… I really didn’t mean to leave it how I did last time. And all that time I didn’t come to see you – I’m really sorry I didn’t. You’re my favorite brother – I missed you a lot.” Rae-Rae began to trail off, her tone becoming quieter as she looked down to the floor nervously.

With a small smile lighting up his face, he nodded in agreement, “Me as well…” She lifted her gaze to meet his, feeling his smile reflected in her own.

“So, Miss Lopez will be enjoying the company of both the Devil and the Angel of Death tonight?” Lucifer laughed as he redirected their conversation. “What an interesting situation that must be!”

Azrael laughed in response as the weight lifted from her chest, glad that she would finally be getting to spend time with her big brother after all. “If only she knew, sure makes for a heck of a story!”

“Oh, about that, would you mind acting as if you can’t see or hear me? I know it’s not really your thing to be anything but truthful, but I don’t want to ruin it for Ella. I just want us all to be able to have a relaxing night, weird as it may be,” Azrael huffed in amusement.

Lucifer mulled over the thought, nodding as he responded, “I agree, I wouldn’t want to upset Miss Lopez either – she deserves some time to be able to relax and enjoy the quality time. And we can easily enjoy the evening without having to lie about anything – she already expects you to be discrete and me none-the-wiser. I’d call it a win-win.”

Rae-Rae’s face lit up at that, a genuine smile overtaking her features. Her expression made him smile in response - it felt wonderful to be able to have his little sister again, he hadn’t realized how much light she brought into his life. The fond memories they shared were still among his favorite, and he couldn’t lie in saying that he did miss spending time together like when they were younger. He found that listening to Miss Lopez ramble on so excitedly all those nights in the lab brought him a sense of warmth he hadn’t felt in such a long time… her compassion and enthusiasm reminded him of his little sister Azrael and all those times they spent together back then, him simply listening to whatever what was on her mind.

She quickly came to him to wrap her arms around him, burying her head into his chest. He tensed at first, surprised by her unexpected affection, but easily found himself sinking into the warmth of his little sister. It felt as if no time had passed at all – as if it was just like back then, little Rae-Rae seeking comfort in her big brother Sam.

After a few moments, she backed away and offered him a fond smile full of joy, and he found himself returning it. Hearing Ella making her way out of the kitchen, she nodded in acknowledgement and turned to drop to the floor by the chair, crossing her legs as she sat.

Lucifer looked after her for another moment before moving to the couch to take a seat, crossing his legs as he did so. He glanced to his little sister, snuggling herself up in preparation for the movie, and over to Ella, who was cheerily bouncing into the room, popcorn in hand and a smile on her face.

_Yes, this was exactly where he wanted to be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made myself really want a Luci and Azrael hug in the show now :)


	3. Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter I’ve structured a bit differently. Instead of being dialogue-focused, it is more introspective and shows the parallel fears between Lucifer and Ella as they both become worried about having to reveal their “secret” to the other. 
> 
> In case it isn’t clear, I have it switching back and forth between Lucifer’s and Ella’s thoughts / fears (in general, not necessarily all happening in the middle of that conversation haha) to parallel their situations. I used // and \\\ to frame Ella’s thoughts and << and >> to frame Lucifer’s thoughts. Hope this comes across well cause I’m trying something a bit different with it :)
> 
> (also sorry, this one’s a bit shorter!)

_Ella felt her breath immediately catch as everyone around her seemed to freeze. The silence quickly grew heavy as Lucifer realized his mistake, the confusion and panic swirling within her only continuing to grow._

_“What?”_

\-----

// How did Lucifer even know about Rae-Rae? So long had she tried to keep it a secret, fearing what her friends would think of her. She couldn’t bear the day her friends looked at her like _that_ – with pity, like she was crazy. If she told him the truth, would he do the same? \\\

<< Why did he have to say anything? He had just wanted to give Ella a relaxing evening, and instead he had ruined everything. He would have to tell her the truth – there was no other way around it. But, how could he? She would never look at him the same again, no human ever did. No, instead there would be fear in her eyes. Terror. Disgust. He could never bear to see Miss Lopez looking at him that way. >>

// She would have to tell him about Rae-Rae – that no matter what she did to convince herself otherwise, she couldn’t avoid the fact that she was different. She had tried to run from her past before, from who she was, and yet it always came back to her. And how could she explain it exactly? No, her friends would look at her like she was crazy – just like everyone else had. She had told Chloe, who had somehow been overwhelmingly understanding – but would Lucifer be the same? That’s what had stopped her this whole time – the fear of rejection. After all this time finding true friends, she would never be able to handle their absolute rejection of her. \\\

<< He says he’s the Devil all the time. But still, he knows he’s avoiding the whole truth. He could prove it to them, show them without a doubt exactly who they were dealing with. And then there would be no way to avoid the rejection, would there? He never lied; this was the truth – but could people accept the real him? If given undeniable proof, how would they respond – Linda hadn’t exactly reacted well. She came around, yes, but that didn’t remove the pure fear he saw in her eyes when he showed her. But once his friends had discovered what he was – rejection was the best he could hope for. >>

// She hoped she could get to a point someday where she told her friends and they accepted her for who she was, weirdness aside. But until then, the fear lingered in the shadows, unable to leave her alone. Once she told people she could talk to ghosts, how would they respond? How would they ever understand once they knew? \\\

<< All he really wanted was acceptance – acceptance for who he truly was, for the man he had become. Regardless of what history had painted him as. But could anyone really understand after he told them the truth? >>

// She had come to love who she became in LA – the bubbly, enthusiastic forensic scientist. She finally had befriended people who truly had her back. Who cared for her and accepted her in return. But she had tried so hard to leave that part of her old life behind – the one where she talked to ghosts and everyone treated her like she was crazy. What would happen if she showed them this other side of her? \\\

<< He had finally found that he was considering this home – here in LA, with so many people who had come to care for him, who let them into their lives wholeheartedly. But they didn’t know the entire truth – and what would happen when they did? When they saw his other side – his monstrous side? He had come to like who he was and who he had become, had been accepted even - but if they knew what he hid behind his mask, this entire side of himself he was hiding, how could they ever treat him the same? >>

// She worked to build a new life in LA, came here looking for a fresh start – a way to be herself without the past pulling her down. But now she felt like it was Detroit all over again. All her friends would find out what she’s been trying to hide. Then back to square one again. Her life in LA would fall apart and there would be nothing she could do but leave it behind, just as she had Detroit. \\\

<< In LA he could be himself, free from his Father’s control and from his punishments in Hell. A way to be his own man – and somehow along the way, he had found friends. A family of his own choosing. But that could so easily be lost - it was hanging by a thread. And surely once he was shown as who he truly was, it would fall apart. Would they tell him to leave? Refuse to see him ever again? Especially with Miss Lopez’s faith – how could she handle being friends with the Devil himself this entire time? >>

// Somehow Lucifer had found out about her ghost friend… Or heard her even? How was that even possible? All her life, no one had ever before been able to see or hear Rae-Rae – what changed? Either way, she would have to tell Lucifer the truth now – it was the only way to explain it. All she could do was hope Lucifer would take it as well as Chloe had – and wouldn’t react like everyone else had. \\\

<< Now he had to be completely honest, he had to tell Miss Lopez what was going on. The least he owed her was the whole truth. He just had to hope she could understand, could still stand to be near him, after he explained everything to her. >>

\-----

Lucifer glanced over to Ella, seeing her shocked expression and the confusion flooding her features. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the conversation to come.

“Miss Lopez, let me explain…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since 3x25, I’ve been thinking that Lucifer and Ella are actually very alike in terms of fearing rejection from their friends after revealing their own truth and I wanted to write something about it. This chapter was basically my original idea, and was going to be a oneshot, but I decided to add some context around it and thus it became multi-chaptered :)
> 
> Don't worry, next chapter we get to the revelation!


	4. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some explanations! (finally) (and longer than usual to make up for it!)

The air was still and heavy with unspoken promises of explanations. Ella glanced over to Rae-Rae to see her giving her a sheepish look, shrugging apologetically. _What the hell was going on?_

Lucifer was the first to break the silence with a deep breath. “Miss Lopez, let me explain…”

It was as if at the sound of his voice, her trance was broken, and all the questions came flooding to her mind. “What the actual – I mean how did you even – did you just respond to her?” Ella struggled to frantically get her words out, waving her hands before he could interrupt. “Wait, that means you can hear her? Can you see her?” She hated how weak her voice came out, cracking under the pressure of a lifetime of fears. But she didn’t dare voice the deeper worries beyond her words.

“Well, yes, though it’s a bit complicated. You’re going to need to hear the whole story for this one...”

She took in his words but didn’t exactly know what to do with them – _how had this taken a turn so quickly?_ Ella only nodded slowly, focusing on trying to slow her frantic breathing as she slowly lowered herself back to the couch (she hadn’t realized she had even jumped up). She tried to swallow down the panic and fear that was currently rising within her – she wasn’t sure what had just happened, but if Lucifer was going to (already did?) find out about Rae-Rae, there was no stopping it now.

_But if he had, shouldn’t she be the one explaining things? She’s the one who talks to ghosts (a ghost) after all. And…… now he was too??_

Lucifer left his seat to stand in front of her, Rae-Rae joining by his side, as they gave each other a knowing look ( _somehow, even though she was a freaking ghost!_ ). Whatever they had silently agreed upon, Ella hadn’t the slightest idea – it seemed as if everyone except her was in on some secret.

They seemed to stall nervously, searching for the words to begin whatever explanation was undoubtedly coming. Ella looked towards them expectantly, raising an eyebrow as she asked, “Um guys, does someone want to explain what’s going on?”

That snapped Rae-Rae to attention, who carefully began, “You know how I told you I was a ghost?” Ella nodded hesitantly in agreement. “Well, turns out that’s not _exaaactly_ the truth…” Lucifer quietly snorted at that, while Rae-Rae shot him a glare that quickly shut him up. 

“Anyway, so I’m not a ghost, but actually an angel.” Ella just stared at Rae-Rae in confusion, who began to squirm under her attention. After several moments of silence, she awkwardly began again. “But hey, that means I’m not dead – so yay?” Rae-Rae raised her arms in a shrug and let out an uncomfortable laugh. 

“So… if you’re an angel – which I’m not sure makes any more sense than the ghost thing – how exactly does that explain anything?” Ella finally responded, not feeling any less confused.

“Let me start from the beginning,” Rae-Rae began, before promptly being cut off by Lucifer’s snicker.

“Careful with that phrasing, sister,” Lucifer interjected smugly, not able to resist.

_Sister?_ Ella wondered. _Right, she should just let them finish their explanation first…_

Rae-Rae only rolled her eyes and ignored him as she continued. “Remember how you started seeing me after you were in that car crash when you were young? Well, I wasn’t a ghost of someone from the other car – I was actually there for my job. See, everyone calls me Rae-Rae, but my whole name is Azrael…”

“…The Angel of Death?” Ella interjected carefully, trying to piece it together.

“That’s the one. Anyway, I was there to do my job, but turns out it was a false alarm. But you had already seen me – and for some reason I didn’t exactly feel like leaving. I kept coming back to check on you and even hoped I could be your friend – so when you asked, I panicked and the whole ghost explanation came out.”

“And the reason I can see and hear you but no one else can is…” Ella led questioningly.

“That’s to do with my abilities. I can make myself invisible to all humans – makes the job easier – and I just chose to make myself visible only to you.”

Azrael paused for a moment, seeming to give Ella some time to digest all of that. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to think of it at all… It was a relief to know someone else could see Rae-Rae too, although she wasn’t sure how Lucifer factored in yet. And to have confirmation that she wasn’t crazy – that felt as if a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders. It seemed like Rae-Rae was definitely real – just also not human apparently. Not a ghost, just the Angel of Death acting as her guardian angel this whole time. _Sure, that makes sense._

Ella redirected her attention to look at Lucifer, who seemed to be nervously shifting from foot to foot, fiddling with his ring as he did so. He seemed… _afraid?_ She wasn’t sure of what, or how this conversation thus far related to him, but it seemed as if he was preparing for a blow. As if the explanation was leading to something bigger than – _hey, your ghost friend is not actually a ghost but an angel… the Angel of Death._

She thought back to what she had heard him call Rae-Rae earlier… sister. _Sister?_ If Rae-Rae was his sister, who was actually an angel… then that would make him an angel too. But if…

_Oh._

_Ohh._

He was _that_ Lucifer. _The_ Lucifer. This entire time. He had never been lying after all. Never acting. Just him. The _Devil._

Her eyes widened at the realization and she watched as Lucifer winced slightly. “So, if you’re an angel,” Ella began, turning to Lucifer, “then that makes you…”

“The Devil. Yes,” Lucifer responded dejectedly.

She felt the shock rising, but also found herself strangely alright with that revelation. He had said it the entire time – though it made her feel foolish for justifying it with method acting the entire time. But it actually made a lot of sense if she thought about it. 

And surely that didn’t change anything, right? He was still _their_ Lucifer. The ridiculous goofball who had ended up working with them as a civilian consultant. Civilian, right… turns out he’s the actual Lord of Hell. Working in a police station. Yeah, bet no one saw that coming.

“Former Lord of Hell Works with the LAPD to Put Bad Guys Away,” Ella read as if it were a headline, waving her hand for emphasis.

Lucifer jerked up quickly, tilting his head as he regarded her. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he asked, “Pardon?”

Ella laughed a bit and waved him off. “Nothing, just not what people would expect from the Devil, right? I mean I thought you got a bad rap before, but now that I know - dude, you really get it rough!”

Lucifer smiled hesitantly before letting his smile drop. “Well, Miss Lopez, as much as I agree with that sentiment, I do have to warn you I have done a lot in my past. Some things I’m not proud of. Things I’m not sure you would think of me so highly for.”

Ella considered that for a moment and grew more serious. “I’m sure there are, I mean you got abandoned and cast into Hell – I can’t pretend that it was great down there or that any of it was easy for you. But what matters is who you are now. And I _know_ you. You’re a good guy, Lucifer.”

She watched as joy warily spread over his features, his eyes lighting up in a hesitant wonder. His mouth upturned in a soft, but genuine, smile. “So, you’re okay with me?”

Ella replied without hesitation, not needing to even consider her answer. “Of course, Luce! You’ve always been like a brother to me, sometimes even better than my own. You’re family,” she emphasized, pausing for a moment to watch the disbelief and wonder so quickly crossing Lucifer’s face, seemingly struck by being considered _family_ – to someone who knows who he truly is no less. After all of the abandonment in his life, of course he would feel this way. But she couldn’t help her building sorrow for how he automatically assumed people would reject and abandon him… unable to believe that everyone here genuinely _cares_ for him. 

“And all this doesn’t change a thing. You’re still the same old Lucifer, right?”

“Yes,” Lucifer blinked to clear himself of the shock, responding carefully, “I’ve never lied about who I am.”

“Then you’re okay in my book, bud!” She jumped off the couch and enveloped him in a hug before he had a chance to respond. She felt him stiffen at the contact, but slowly, he brought his arms around her and returned the hug. The tension gradually drained from him, and she heard him release a sigh of relief. The warmth that radiated off of him made a sense of _home_ wash over her – such a strength that it reminded her of how her own brothers used to make her feel, long before they grew distant.

She backed away before the hug went on too long (he was such a great hugger, but she knew he wasn’t really used to that) and looked up at him to give him a genuine smile, which he also returned.

_THE_ fallen angel was standing in her living room - she shook her head internally at the thought. _Hah, what had her life become?_

Glancing over to Rae-Rae, she immediately ran to give her a hug as well. The angel seemed shocked at her unexpected exuberance and tensed in her hug too. _Wow, this hug thing must run in the family._

“Girl, I can’t believe that I could have been giving you hugs this entire time! Now you’re gonna have to suffer through extra hugs to make up for it!” Azrael laughed and nodded, seemingly also at a loss for words to how she had taken the news.

As the thought crossed her mind, Ella turned back to Lucifer and asked, “Wait, does Chloe know?”

“Ah, no, not yet. I had planned to tell her before I woke up in the desert with my wings thrown back on. And when I tried to show her after, well, my Devil face had gone… I suppose I could have showed her my wings by now, but it still feels like a lie.”

“Dude, you have wings?? We are soo gonna talk about that later!” Ella exclaimed, newly intrigued by the idea of Lucifer having _actual freaking wings._

“Alright, Miss Lopez – as long as you realize I am actually the Lord of Hell and quite far from being some angel,” Lucifer scoffed.

From what Ella had seen - the man she had come to know - she thought he was more like an angel than he thought (though she would never admit this to him). She laughed as she nodded along. 

She almost couldn’t believe how this had all turned out – turns out she wasn’t crazy after all (though if she explained that she had been talking to an _invisible angel_ rather than a ghost, she’s not sure many people would agree). Celestial being aside, she realized how similar her situation was to Lucifer’s – they had both feared rejection today and had somehow found acceptance instead. Little did they know, they both understood each other in a way others wouldn’t. _Wow, was she really thinking how relatable the Devil was, now?_ Her world had surely turned upside down – she would have to freak out about that later – but right now, she knew that nothing had really changed. Lucifer was still the same _Lucifer_ they had all come to love. And whether he was an angel or the Devil, or both, one thing was for sure – he was just as _human_ as everyone else.

So she finds herself here, an interrupted movie night with the Devil and the Angel of Death, in her tiny, ordinary apartment. She shook her head at the insanity of it all, but honestly? She wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the line “chose to be visible” just made me think of the whole choosing to be vulnerable thing. Would be interesting if Azrael had some self-actualization stuff going on too, given how Luci and Amenadiel have. Idk :) 
> 
> Up next an epilogue chapter :)


	5. Drinks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you who have stuck through the whole thing! <3 It’s been really fun releasing these chapters and reading all the wonderful comments :)

_One week later…_

It had been a whole week since her world had been turned upside down. And yet, though everything had changed – nothing really had. She just knew a little bit more about the LAPD’s civilian consultant and her “ghost” friend now. 

Now, hanging out with the Angel of Death and the Devil at his penthouse for drinks was just her normal Wednesday. Ella was sitting on one of the stools at his bar closer to his bedroom, half-turned towards the living area with her legs crossed over each other. Azrael sat on the stool next to her, back leaning against the bar with a drink in hand. Lucifer had to be on at least his sixth drink already, pacing in the space around his piano, though she supposed his so-called “celestial metabolism” could explain that one. Suddenly everything he did made a little more sense, given he was a fallen angel and all.

Over the past week, she had taken the time to digest who exactly Lucifer was – and more so really, that her entire faith was one hundred percent real. Heaven, Hell – yep those were _actual_ locations for her now. God, the Devil…angels, demons? Yep, also real _legit_ people – beings – some of which she could even call her friends (and wasn’t that the weirdest thing ever?) She had also received a “celestial crash course” so to speak courtesy of Lucifer himself – a brief introduction to all things celestial. But don’t get her wrong – there was still A LOT she didn’t know (and wasn’t even sure she wanted to get into, the world had turned out to be much crazier than she ever could have imagined) and she hadn’t even gotten to ask the questions that had been buzzing around in her head yet. Though after hearing about divine blades going on murder sprees, the Goddess of all Creation working amongst them and inhabiting a mortal body, and said Goddess being sent into the void to some other universe – yeah, let’s just say her brain couldn’t take much more knowledge of “divine happenings”.

Yet the more she learned, the more questions she found piling up on some imaginary list of “I’ll ask that later once the crazy has died down” – turns out the crazy doesn’t often die down when dealing with celestials. Though what should she have expected? Apparently, this is just her life now – forensic scientist by day, celestial insider by night.

And here she was, casually chatting with the Angel of Death (who yes, is a chick – a lot of people get that wrong) who’s actually the little sister of the Devil. No biggie, right?

“I mean he tells every person he meets he’s actually the Devil – brags about it even,” Ella began explaining to Rae-Rae beside her, pausing a moment as she debated the absurdity of the situation. “Huh, kinda crazy that even with all that and still it’s hard to believe he’s ACTUALLY the Devil. Just look at me, I justified his quirks with just being method acting the entire time, like no wonder you’ve never gotten a gig!” 

Lucifer nodded in agreement when Rae-Rae turned to look at him incredulously. “Really, Lu – you just go around telling everyone you’re the Devil?”

“Really, Rae – you just go around telling people you’re a ghost? At least I’m honest,” Lucifer mocked in response, scoffing. 

“Well in all fairness, I only said that to one person. How many people have you told? All of LA now?”

“And I don’t see the problem with that. It’s not like any of them ever believe me. Humans would rather twist every which way to come up with an explanation rather than just accepting the truth at face value,” Lucifer looked down to consider his glass for a moment. “It’s quite amusing, honestly.”

“He’s right, I should know,” Ella interjected as she raised her hand.

Lucifer nodded approvingly in her direction, looking towards Azrael smugly as if to say, “See?”

Azrael snickered and shook her head. “Only you could get away with something so reckless. I guess subtlety was never really your thing.”

“Not my strong suit, no – but why should it be?” Lucifer took another sip out of his glass, moving over to sit at the piano bench, the picture of nonchalance. 

Rae-Rae rolled her eyes in amusement, leaning closer to Ella to whisper to her (though she knew Lucifer could hear her anyway). “Brothers, right?” She nudged Ella, sighing in mock exasperation.

Ella grabbed her glass and nodded in agreement, “Tell me about it.” She looked back and forth between the two, bantering like children, and could definitely see how they were siblings now. She almost couldn’t believe how she didn’t connect it before – Lucifer always had been the big brother type, but seeing him now, she really saw how two of her best friends were more alike than she ever imagined.

Ella shook herself from her thoughts, lowering her glass and placing it down on the surface of the bar. Her eyes lit up as an idea came to mind, turning towards Azrael, who looked up to meet her gaze. 

“Wait, all those stories you told me about your brother…” she began, letting out a disbelieving laugh, “that was _this guy?_ ” She pointed over her shoulder to Lucifer, who instantly perked up at the mention of him, eyes widening comically. 

The only answer Ella needed was the small nod Rae-Rae gave her, and they both immediately tried to smother their laughter. Lucifer developed a look of mock outrage, glaring towards his sister accusingly.

“What’s this, sister? What exactly did you tell her?” Azrael gave him an abashed smile, but still couldn’t stop her laughter from spilling over.

“Oh you know, just the _embarrassing_ stuff,” Ella snickered, reveling in the way Lucifer blushed. “From what I hear, you used to have the _cutest_ curls –“

With a clap of his hands, Lucifer quickly interrupted before the dreadful conversation could continue. “Allllright, I think that’s the end of that conversation, anyone up for another drink? Or three?” He made his way over to the bar, grabbing the nearest drink and muttering under his breath, “Anything to get off this particular topic…”

Ella fondly shook her head - she had never seen the Devil look so embarrassed before, it’s something she would have to keep in mind.

“I have an idea,” she offered hesitantly, not sure if it was the time to broach the subject, but also not able to hold back her curiosity either.

“Well, I’m all ears Miss Lopez,” Lucifer responded as he regarded her, taking a sip from his newly filled glass.

“Um, can you show me your wings, now? I mean like – you totally don’t have to if you don’t want – but also, it would be really cool!” Ella rambled out frantically as she gestured with her hands.

Lucifer tilted his head as he mulled over the request for a moment and Ella hoped she hadn’t pushed too hard by asking him. “Well, humans tend to become a tad unhinged when I show my wings – though Linda handled it admirably, albeit that was after already being traumatized by my Devil face so perhaps…”

She breathed out a sigh of relief at realizing she hadn’t upset him, and rather he was worried about her reaction. “Come on, I thought I was seeing a ghost my entire life so I’m sure I can handle it, being all supernaturally primed and whatnot,” Ella rationalized. “I can’t guarantee I won’t freak out, cause let’s face it, I definitely will – but I won’t go all _mind-melted bowing down to your divinity_ either, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That’s precisely what I’m concerned about, though you are stronger than most humans, so perhaps you won’t have such adverse effects to the mere sight of them,” Lucifer pondered, rubbing the stubble on the right side of his face.

Azrael stepped closer and interjected,” I don’t know, Lu… we’re not really supposed to show our wings to humans. Not like that stopped you… How many people know exactly?”

“Only the doctor, besides Miss Lopez here – though I’d wager that’s partly your fault as well. Oh and Charlotte – though she was a special case given that she had just returned from Hell and was previously inhabited by Mum’s soul…”

“WHAT?” Azrael exclaimed loudly, her eyes widening at the information she hadn’t been privy to. Ella snickered at the idea that it had been one of the crucial details Lucifer had “selectively omitted” from their conversations.

Lucifer waved her off casually, “Eh, that’s a story for another time. Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

Before anyone could argue further, Lucifer’s brilliant white wings burst from his back with a simple shrug of his shoulders. The luminance of his purely colored feathers stood in stark contrast to the dark skyline out the penthouse windows behind him. 

Ella sucked in a sharp breath at the sight, eyes widening as she took in the beauty and radiance of Lucifer’s wings. Even Azrael let out a sigh of awe, her brother’s wings still the most beautiful of all their siblings all these millennia later.

Lucifer stretched out his wings slightly before folding them back behind him, without removing them from sight. He carefully eyed Ella, trying to gauge her reaction and state of mind after laying eyes upon angel wings. “Miss Lopez?” he hazarded gently.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ella shook her head as a wide grin spread across her face. Without taking a breath between words, she excitedly started rambling off questions, her pitch rising with each one. “So, where do your wings go when they’re not there? Like do they de-materialize? Or go into some pocket dimension? Are they actually there the entire time, but can just pass through all matter?”

Lucifer opened his mouth to answer but was quickly cut off by another onslaught of Ella’s questions.

“How do they go through your clothes? Cause I can’t imagine you’d be okay with ripping your Armani or whatever every time you brought your wings out. And when do you bring them out? Is that a flight thing? WAIT, can you fly??”

“Miss Lopez, please, one question at a time,” Lucifer interrupted finally as he raised his hands in a placating gesture, Ella far past the level of excitement he could handle. “To answer one of your questions at least, yes of course I can fly, they’re not just for appearance after all,” he scoffed incredulously.

“That’s nuts! You’re telling me you can ACTUALLY fly??”

“Well, it seems apparent your mind hasn’t turned to mush – though not quite the reaction I was expecting.”

Ella pointedly took in a deep breath in an attempt to rein in her excitement. “Okay man, I’m calm now, but that doesn’t change the fact that you have _actual freaking wings!_ ” 

Lucifer turned to Azrael as he raised an eyebrow, “I’m not the only one – Azrael, care for a little show and tell?”

Ella froze, directing her attention towards Rae-Rae as her eyes widened once again. “OMG, I totally didn’t even consider that you would have wings too!”

Azrael glanced back and forth nervously, looking back to Lucifer who was only giving her a smug grin. “Uh, Lu, are we sure this is a good idea?”

“Well, she’s already seen mine and her mind still seems intact, so I’d wager it’s pretty safe,” he explained nonchalantly.

“Gee that’s reassuring,” Azrael mocked as she rolled her eyes. At the sight of Ella’s excited expression, she already knew she was losing the argument. After saying she was a ghost for that many years, she figured the least she could do is this for Ella. “ _Fine,_ ” she gave in with a sigh.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Azrael’s multi-toned wings unfurled from her back, stretching out to their full extent before settling back in a relaxed state. The dark wings looked so large compared to Azrael’s small frame, filling a decent space in the open penthouse.

Upon her second exposure, Ella was able to recover quickly and marvel in the wonder of the situation she found herself in. “Guys this is so cool, how is this even my life right now? Here I am chilling with two beings that are who-knows-how-old both showing me their wings!”

Before anyone could continue the conversation, the human and two angels all immediately directed their eyes toward the elevator as it pinged loudly in the quiet of the penthouse. Lucifer’s wings spread out further once again, puffed out as if ready to attack. As the doors slid open, Linda walked out, looking down at the papers she was holding as she spoke. 

“Hey, Lucifer, I have that—” Linda froze as she directed her eyes up, noticing Ella – wide-eyed and an expression of awe upon her face – sitting at the bar and two angels – one the Devil himself and one she could only assume was one of the siblings she hadn’t met yet – with wings flared out, spread out to their fullest extent. 

She weighed her options and began again, “You know, if this is a bad time, I can just come back later…” Linda trailed off nervously as she gestured to the elevator behind her. Without another word, she returned to the elevator and pressed the down button, her small frame disappearing behind the closing doors.

A long pause hung in the air as both Lucifer and Azrael shrugged their wings out of sight once again.

Lucifer pondered for a moment before breaking the silence. “Huh, I should really put a lock on that elevator, shouldn’t I? Ah no harm, at least it was only the doctor.”

“See, that! That right there, Lu!” Azrael burst out in mock exasperation. “That’s what I mean when I say only you could get away with reckless stuff like that. You easily could have exposed yet another human to your divinity.”

“Ah ah, but I didn’t,” Lucifer pointed out with a cocky grin as he pointed his finger. “Besides, you would have been equally at fault given that – oh yes – _you_ had your wings out as well!”

Azrael scoffed and replied, “That’s so not the point, Lu…”

“Careful, sister, you’re starting to sound like Amenadiel with your whole ‘humanity and the divinity don’t mix’,” Lucifer deepened his tone at the end to mock his brother.

“Pleaaase, I’m not as uptight as Meni!”

“No, I’d say your company is far more pleasurable,” Lucifer waved off, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Aww you guys are so cute! You argue just like my brothers and I used to,” Ella interjected, drawing the attention of both the Devil and the Angel of Death.

Lucifer instantly looked offended at her comment, a look of incredulity upon his face. “Um _excuse me,_ the Devil is anything but _cute,_ ” he practically spat out the demeaning description.

“Whatever you tell yourself, Luce – turns out the Devil is just a big softie!” Ella exclaimed, unable to contain her laughter as she purposefully poked at his need to be this fearless, macho Devil.

Both Ella and Azrael dissolved into a fit of laughter as Lucifer’s expression worsened, the only comeback he was able to get out between his mouth repeatedly opening and closing – at a loss for words – being a low, petulant “Am not”.

 _The Devil himself, ladies and gentlemen._ Ella thought how her life would likely never be the same after finding out the truth about the world around her – now her life was full of angels and demons on a daily basis. She had to admit, it was a bit fun being “celestial insider” (as it had been deemed apparently) – crazy and hard-to-believe for sure – but she found she rather enjoyed being “in the know”. The truth could be bizarre at times, but she felt it was better now knowing about Lucifer and Azrael. It didn’t change anything – nothing big anyway – but it allowed a level of understanding among them all that hadn’t previously been there.

And if her life was now full of celestial chaos and beings older than time (that actually acted like children)? So be it – she had never been one for normal anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this chapter got away from me juuuust a bit so I might actually add another chapter… but as of right now it’s done :)
> 
> I totally read a fic at some point where Azrael used the nickname “Meni” a lot for Amenadiel but alas I cannot remember which one


End file.
